My Favorite Summer Dessert Ever!

STRAWBERRY COUNTRY CAKE

I cut this recipe out of Veranda like 7 plus years ago and it is my all time favorite summer dessert. I always get so many compliments on it. Takes a little time to make but so well worth it. I wanted to share...

Strawberry Country Cake

Makes two 8" cakes. Each cake serves 6-8. You can make extra wrap in plastic and freeze for up to 6 months.

You will need...

3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks) at room temp.
2 cups of sugar
4 extra large eggs at room temp.
3/4 cup sour cream at room temp.
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups of all purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

For Filling of Each Cake...

1 cup heavy whipping cream chilled
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pint of fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

Directions...

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Butter and flour cake pans

Cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

On medium speed, add the eggs, one at a time, then the sour cream, zests and vanilla, scraping down the bowl as needed.  Mix well.

Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt and baking soda. 

On a low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and combine until smooth.

Pour the batter evenly into the pans, smooth the tiops with a spatula and bake in the center of the oven for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then remove to wire racks and let cool to room temp.

To make the filling for one cake, whip the cream by hand or in a mixer until firm; add the sugar and vanilla.  Slice both of the cakes in half with a long sharp knife. Place the bottom slice
 of the cake on a serving platter, spread with half of the whipped cream, and scatter with strawberries. Repeat until all cake is used.

Cover with the other top half of the cake and spread with the remaining  whipped cream.

Decorate with strawberries.

My Side Notes...

1. Make sure and use the freshest ingredients you can get.  Especially on the vanilla, lemon and orange zest.  It does make a difference.
2. Also I make more whipped cream because its better to have more then not enough.
3. You can also cut up some of the strawberries and sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar over them if you want them to be sweeter and softer.
4. I ONLY cooked mine for 25-30 minutes.  It depends how hot your oven gets.  You can always cook longer...but not less.
5. When the cakes are completely cooled I cut off the very top and bottom cooked layers with a serrated bread knife.  It make the cakes more moist and they have a flatter surface that makes easy for stacking.

My great little helper!!!

Happy Baking!

Do you have a favorite dessert recipe you would like to share? 

Leave a comment and maybe yours will be posted!

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